Carver said the experience he has gained working abroad has improved him as a coach.

He explained: “When I was considering the job I spoke to Sir Bobby and he said ‘do it’. He told me to ‘give it two years and see what you think’. I feel better for doing what I’ve done.”

And he said should Sunderland be looking for a new manager at the end of the season they should look no further than Steve McClaren.

The ex-Boro boss, vilified as the “wally with the brolly” as England manager, has led FC Twente Enschede to the Champions League after the team finished second in the Eredivisie, the top Dutch league.

Carver said: “If they have anything about them they should consider him. His time abroad has been great for him.”

He revealed he had enjoyed a couple of drinks with manager Alan Shearer after the 3-1 win on Monday but said the topic of his possible return didn’t come up.

“I’m on what I suppose is gardening leave at the moment. “I’ve been paid up until September which will stop if I get another job. “We’ll just see what happens.”

While watching the match as a fan, Carver still had his coach’s head on as he summed up his thoughts on how the game unfolded and pinpointed the time when he thought the outcome changed. And it wasn’t just Obafemi Martins coming on for Michael Owen.

He said: “Just before we got the second goal I thought they were going to turn us. I was surprised Gareth Southgate made that change bringing Aliadiere on and taking off the holding midfielder (Shawky). Boro were in the ascendancy.

“I was quite nervous thinking about what the repercussions could be if we didn’t win. In the end we won quite comfortably.”

He had flown back to watch the match at St James’s Park after quitting Toronto. He joined the club in late January 2008 and his first win was against David Beckham’s LA Galaxy.

Carver helped turn the team into an outfit for whom honours have been predicted, working among a number of familiar names including former Newcastle United favourite Laurent Robert and ex-Sunderland players Danny Dichio and Carl Robinson.

However, Carver a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has repeatedly fallen out with MLS authorities who have taken exception to his conduct on the sidelines and his criticism of referees. In the end he had had enough and quit.

Carver said he had no complaints whatsoever with the club where he managed, and its owners Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

He said: “It has been a good experience. It was a chance to build something from nothing. I introduced ProZone, lots of heart rate monitoring systems. If someone was playing too hard we knew they were vulnerable to injury and they were slowed down. If they weren’t working hard enough, they were told to kick on.”

He also helped further develop the scouting system as well as gathering together a coaching team including Chris Cummins, who took over from him.

Carver said: “They’ve kept everything in place since I left and I don’t think they’ve lost. It wasn’t in my mind to leave. I’d like to leave a legacy and I feel as if I have.”

What he appreciated most in Canada was to be given that precious commodity not afforded to bosses at Premier League clubs. Time.

He said: “I felt as though I was given a more time and patience.”

And his verdict on the present day Newcastle United from a coach’s eye. He said “ I can see why they’re in trouble when you’re watching the games. There’s not a great deal of pace and energy in the team.”

Maybe next season he will be one of the men to help put that right.

Turbulence in Toronto

WHEN John Carver quit Toronto last month, it wasn’t long before the conspiracy theorists were at work.

Coming so soon after Alan Shearer’s appointment as temporary Newcastle United manager, it seemed timely to say the least.

But Carver is adamant it was just a coincidence, and there was no plan afoot to hook up with his old friend at St James’s Park.

He said: “It was the politics of the MLS. They just didn’t like my style.”

The final straw came after he was fined $750 (US) for public criticism of an MLS referee after a penalty award for handball to FC Dallas which resulted in a 3-2 defeat for his team. TV replays appeared to back his claim it shouldn’t have been awarded but exception was taken to describing the ref as “a disgrace”.

Another clash with the authorities for “clapping” the ref saw him sent to the stands. The following game he chose to stay in the stands but was ordered to watch from the pitch. He said it was due to an MLS directive, something that has been denied.

Carver also fell victim to a CCTV probe when an official recorded his every move in the dugout before distributing it to MLS managers as a guide as “how not to behave”.